Showing posts with label new film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new film. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Bestselling Author, Film Maker And Positive Psychologist Barbara Becker Holstein Announces Ebook Giveaway For Women's Freedom, Upcoming Release Of New Film


In the tradition of authors like Judy Blume, Dr. Holstein pushes the envelope in covering the challenges girls really face, regarding things that are important to them regardless of their stage of development.

Bestselling author and award-winning film maker Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein has announced a new ebook giveaway and the upcoming release of a new film.

Her best-selling novel, 'Women's Freedom, Unfinished Love Stories,' will be available at no charge in e-book form on January 31 through February 1, 2026. In this book, Holstein explores the struggles and desires of young women in the 1960s. She introduces readers to three college students navigating the intricacies of their energies and the paths to their futures. Their journeys are a mirror to the experiences of women throughout history, highlighting the universal longings and challenges that have shaped previous generations.

Readers may find themselves reflecting on their own rights, needs, and the societal influences that have shaped their perceptions. Her insightful exploration of emotional growth will captivate, challenge, and ultimately empower readers. She reminds readers that fair treatment and understanding are the keys to a future filled with self-discovery, emotional growth and sense of gratitude for those who helped create the freedom women enjoy today.

She has also announced the release of a new film to be released this year. The film, 'I Had an Affair with My Husband,' will be available early 2026. The film demonstrates that fantasy and romance can play important roles in creating a relationship that will last.

In this new film, Laura and Larry are a typical married couple. They are not looking to split, but married life can be boring without a lot of laughter and maybe even a bit of mischief. That is all about to change when Larry accidentally becomes just the man Laura adores. In fact she adores him much more than the old Larry. That leads to lots of problems and lots of fun.

"When my husband and I realized we were beginning to live our lives entrenched in new- found pleasures of being married to each other we realized we had better get this down in written form. We are both psychologists and felt a responsibility to explore what we were now living. And so the story was written down. And later the story was written once again as a script. and still later it was written once again as a movie script. And here we are older, perhaps wiser, with a film in production. It should be out in about two months.

"We thought readers might enjoy seeing us, seniors obviously and also see the two stars who have taken our places in the film world of imagination and truth.

"This film is so important for several reasons. One is that fantasy and romance and play are very important aspects of marriages that last. We were shocked when we found ourselves behaving as if we had become other people. But being psychologists we began to realize that we were just adding fun and pleasure to our daily lives. That said, we also realized as psychologists that our game of play could get out of control.

"In this film you will see the two actors, Justin L. Wilson and Jessica Miano Kruel, live out both the bad and the good, the fun and the fury of allowing oneself to take on a new persona. The film is fun and yet serious. It has a plot that viewers will take home and will think about. Viewers may try to create new personas, or may laugh at what they see and leave it at that.

"Meanwhile my husband and I still go into our alternate personalities once in a rare moon and then come out. Life is full of fun if it is not abused yet marriages and relationships can become very stale. This film is a great example of a relationship that carries on through the ups and downs of life."

Dr. Holstein is known for wrapping Positive Psychology concepts in forms of media that people find engaging, relatable and inspiring. These include:

Six bestselling, award-winning books (perfect for school libraries)

Four self-esteem workbooks for girls 8 and up

Award-winning films and coming of age selfie films

Podcasts

Dedicated websites

Stage plays

A library of articles

Ted-style talks

As a school psychologist and in her private practice, Dr. Holstein has worked with many children and parents, helping them to develop life skills in decision-making, recognition of their own talents, feel more courageous, and helping both kids and parents develop more successful inter-generational skills. Her last book, ‘Conflict and a Bit of Magic’, helps kids build self-esteem though reading the journal of a girl, identifying with the girl, and understanding they have more courage and resiliency than they thought they had. The book is based on the experiences of the already famous “girl” from 'The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween' and 'Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen', and achieved bestseller status in the multi-generational families category.

Dr. Holstein’s latest workbook for kids, ‘Secrets’ achieved bestseller status in the ‘Teen & Young Adult Nonfiction on Depression’ category.

Dr. Holstein's cutting-edge presentations, most recently based on the Covid-19 pandemic issues, can be found on both YouTube, Vimeo and on the Roku channel and Amazon Fire TV, titled as 'The Enchanted Self Presents'.

Dr. Holstein created The Selfie Showcase, a new project emerging from The Selfie Project, that allows young people to voice their opinions on subjects that matter to young people, including the pandemic.

The Selfie Showcase allows kids, teens, and young adults ages 13 to 18 to candidly express their concerns, worries, observations and possible solutions by creating selfie videos or films around important subjects using a smartphone. Dr. Holstein's mission is to help rectify, in several ways, some issues young people face by giving them a chance to engage with others in meaningful ways about the anxiety and stress they must grapple with constantly.

Dr. Holstein is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at barbara.holstein@gmail.com.More information about the Selfie Showcase is available at http://www.selfiefilmmakers.com. Selfie videos and selfie films can be uploaded at the site. Potential podcast guests can contact Dr. Holstein by email. More information is available at her primary website at http://www.enchantedself.com.

Profile:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known Positive Psychologist is the creator of The Enchanted Self ®, a positive psychology method for happiness and a pioneer in Selfies as Film. Dr. Holstein's Enchanted Self website was included as one of the best websites in positive psychology. She is in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.

Dr. Barbara can be found on the web, interviewed, writing articles and posting video 'TED' style talks on Happiness, Positive Psychology, Relationships and Parenting. Her Roku channel is: The Enchanted Self Presents.

She has been a contributor to Your Tango, Heart and Soul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Honey Good, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, Real Simple, Women’s World, The Wall Street Journal, Psychcentral.com, Time online, Readers Digest, Parade, The Today Show and Family Circle Magazine.

Contact:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
barbara.holstein@gmail.com
http://www.enchantedself.com 

Leia Mais…

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Bestselling Author, Selfie Film Maker And Positive Psychologist Barbara Becker Holstein Announces New Film, New Interview With Author Mitch Abrams For Building Resilience And Self Esteem Podcast


In the tradition of authors like Judy Blume, Dr. Holstein pushes the envelope covering the challenges girls face, without sugar coating it or downplaying the feelings or passions they experience regarding things that are important to them.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, author of the recent bestselling ebook 'Women's Freedom: The Dawn of Possibilities', has announced the upcoming release of a new film, 'I Had An Affair With My Husband'.

In this new film, Laura and Larry are a typical married couple. They are not looking to split, but married life can be boring without a lot of laughter and maybe even a bit of mischief. That is all about to change when Larry accidentally becomes just the man Laura adores. In fact she adores him much more than the old Larry. That leads to lots of problems and lots of fun.

Dr. Barbara and Dr. Russell Holstein have been in practice as psychologists for many years in Long Branch, New Jersey. During that time Dr. Barbara focused on women's mental health and women’s potential through her writings, books, podcasts, and her "selfie filmmaking", which included coming of age films for tweens, teens and their parents. Dr Russell developed his specialty in research that led to exploring the world of insurance and how it affects adequate care in terms of mental health access. His articles and research have brought to the public the limitations in adequate care going on daily in the mental health arena.

Sometimes the right moment that could make a great story just happens in life. That's what happened to the two doctors. They were on vacation and ended up with a stranger entering their lives. The rest is history and a great story. It is also a story that people can relate to as boredom and the seven-year itch are real aspects of marriage and relationships.

Once the Holsteins realized they were living a solution that had some odd side effects they decided to write their story. That led to turning their story into a film script and finally a film. Their first film has just been completed and is about to be edited. 'I Had An Affair With My Husband' will be released in early 2026.

Dr Holstein also announced a new interview available at her Building Resilience And Self Esteem with author Mitch Abrams. Dr. Abrams is a sport, clinical and forensic psychologist with over 25 years experience in the field. “The” expert in anger management in sport, he has carved a niche as the voice of reason when it comes to normalizing and then harnessing anger to achieve peak performance in life, achieving goals, setting new records, and optimizing relationships. The interview is available at her website at https://www.enchantedself.com/resilience-self-esteem-podcast/.

Dr. Holstein is known for wrapping Positive Psychology concepts in forms of media that people find engaging, relatable and inspiring. These include:

Six bestselling, award-winning books (perfect for school libraries)

Four self-esteem workbooks for girls 8 and up

Award-winning films and coming of age selfie films

Podcasts

Dedicated websites

Stage plays

A library of articles

Ted-style talks

As a school psychologist and in her private practice, Dr. Holstein has worked with many children and parents, helping them to develop life skills in decision-making, recognition of their own talents, feel more courageous, and helping both kids and parents develop more successful inter-generational skills. Her last book, ‘Conflict and a Bit of Magic’, helps kids build self-esteem though reading the journal of a girl, identifying with the girl, and understanding they have more courage and resiliency than they thought they had. The book is based on the experiences of the already famous “girl” from 'The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween' and 'Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen', and achieved bestseller status in the multi-generational families category.

Dr. Holstein’s latest workbook for kids, ‘Secrets’ achieved bestseller status in the ‘Teen & Young Adult Nonfiction on Depression’ category.

Dr. Holstein's cutting-edge presentations, most recently based on the Covid-19 pandemic issues, can be found on both YouTube, Vimeo and on the Roku channel and Amazon Fire TV, titled as 'The Enchanted Self Presents'.

Dr. Holstein created The Selfie Showcase, a new project emerging from The Selfie Project, that allows young people to voice their opinions on subjects that matter to young people, including the pandemic.

The Selfie Showcase allows kids, teens, and young adults ages 13 to 18 to candidly express their concerns, worries, observations and possible solutions by creating selfie videos or films around important subjects using a smartphone. Dr. Holstein's mission is to help rectify, in several ways, some issues young people face by giving them a chance to engage with others in meaningful ways about the anxiety and stress they must grapple with constantly.

Dr. Holstein is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at barbara.holstein@gmail.com.More information about the Selfie Showcase is available at http://www.selfiefilmmakers.com. Selfie videos and selfie films can be uploaded at the site. Potential podcast guests can contact Dr. Holstein by email. More information is available at her primary website at http://www.enchantedself.com.

Profile:


Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known Positive Psychologist is the creator of The Enchanted Self ®, a positive psychology method for happiness and a pioneer in Selfies as Film. Dr. Holstein's Enchanted Self website was included as one of the best websites in positive psychology. She is in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.

Dr. Barbara can be found on the web, interviewed, writing articles and posting video 'TED' style talks on Happiness, Positive Psychology, Relationships and Parenting. Her Roku channel is: The Enchanted Self Presents.

She has been a contributor to Your Tango, Heart and Soul, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Honey Good, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, Real Simple, Women’s World, The Wall Street Journal, Psychcentral.com, Time online, Readers Digest, Parade, The Today Show and Family Circle Magazine.

Contact:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
barbara.holstein@gmail.com
http://www.enchantedself.com 

Leia Mais…

Monday, May 20, 2019

New Film About School Shootings, 'Lock Down' By Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, Takes Industry Award

Dr. Holstein, positive psychologist, author, filmmaker, developer of The Enchanted Self and now 'The Selfie Project' is taking on serious society issues at every level by raising the consciousness of all of us on a variety of topics.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein's films have received a huge number of industry awards. She recently announced that her latest and most powerful film about school shootings, 'Lock Down', took Honorable Mention in the Los Angeles Independent Shorts Awards for Best Children's Short and Best Trailer/Teaser. The trailer is available at http://www.enchantedself.com. Special versions of the full film are available to educators and media.

What is on the minds of kids today, creating tremendous anxiety and worse reactions, are the lock downs in our schools. Kids are now faced on a daily basis with the possibility of an active shooter in their school. 'Lock Down' dramatically illustrates the fear and anxiety that kids deal with. 'Lock Down' was produced to generate conversation and spur action to make 'Lock Downs' eventually unnecessary.

Lock downs are one of the most pressing mental health problems American society faces. A recent article in the New York Times entitled 'Fight if You Must: Students Take a Front-Line Role in School Shootings' perfectly summed this problem up in a single, perfectly written paragraph - "Drills for what to do during a shooting have become routine in schools across the nation, in some cases for children as young as in kindergarten. Most students have not been taught to directly confront shooting suspects, but rather to focus on what they must do to remain safe. Some young people, however, appear to have closely followed past massacres and concluded that they cannot wait for a teacher or security officer to protect them."

Dr. Holstein's Selfie drama films help us, no matter what our ages, process coming of age issues from bullying to falling in love. Often the audience is left sighing and laughing at the wonderment of making it to adulthood. 'The Selfie Project' takes on serious issues that kids face and brings together kids in a documentary fashion, after making their own selfies about problems in their lives, to talk with each other and experts.

According to an industry study, over 60 million households identify as "podcast fans", listening to an average of 7 shows per week. In addition, Youtube now garners more views than all the major television networks combined. For this reason, Dr. Holstein has made her video and audio podcasts a centerpiece of her outreach program. She engages with both experts and kids as guests on critical subjects. The full schedule of podcasts is available at http://www.enchantedself.com.

"I am making my latest film 'Lock Down' available to parents and educators at the same time it will be entered in film festivals," Dr. Holstein stated. "We have no time to waste in dealing with the safety of our kids, physically and emotionally. I hope 'Lock Down' will help generate the type of compassionate concern and connection that moves us as a society to thoughtful and timely solutions."

Holstein's short films have won numerous awards and accolades.

Lock Down:

International Shorts November 2019, Selected November 2019
Award Winner for Independent Shorts Awards: Trailer/Teaser and Children's Short May 2019

The Truth A Short Film:

Garden State Film Festival Premier - Best Pop Song 2016
Golden Door Int. Film Festival - Official Selection - September 2016
Grove Film Festival - Showing - May 2017
Female Filmmakers Film Festival - Official Selection - 12th of 92 films
Roselle Park Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection - September 2017
52 Weeks Film Festival April, 2019 Semi-Finalist
FilmOneFest Premier - July 2016
Chain Film Festival - Official Selection - August 2016
Jersey City Int. Television and Film Festival - Official Selection - November 2016
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection- May 2017

Secrets A Coming Of Age Selfie Film:

Alice Guy-Blache Women In Cinema Award - Nomination - October 2017, Golden Door International Film Festival
NewFilmmakers, Manhattan- Official Selection, January 24, 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best Experimental Film nomination - March 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best New Jersey Short nomination - March 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best Concept nomination - March 2018
Hang on To Your Shorts, Official Selection - April 2018, Nominated for Best New Jersey Drama and Best Experimental Film
Awarded: Best Educational Film Award at the Jersey Shore Film Festival, August, 2018
Shown March 1 1018 as one of 6 outstanding women’s films at the Behane Center in Jersey City, for Women’s History Month by Golden Door International Film Festival.
Brightside Tavern Film Festival, Season 7 - Best Experimental Film - March 2018
Jersey Shore Film Festival - Best Educational Film - August 2018
Indie Awards - Award of Recognition in 3 categories: Women Filmmakers, Leading Actress and Educational / Instruction / Training

Falling In Love A Coming Of Age Selfie Film:

Brightside Tavern Film Festival-March 2017- Best Experimental Film Nomination, Second Place Award as Best New Jersey Film Short
Grove Film Festival, Official Selection-May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Best Experimental Film nomination - May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Best Concept Film nomination - May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Megan Brown Rising Star Award - May 2017
Love Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection - February 2018
Special Mention Award - One-Reeler Short Film Competition

Conflict:

Official selection to premiere at the New Jersey International Film Festival at Rutgers University on June 9th, 2018
Semi-finalist in the JELLY Fest Film Festival, June, 2018
Official Selection Golden Door International Film Festival - September 2018
Honorable Mention Award: One-Reeler Short Film Competition
"Hang on to Your Shorts!" Film Festival March 9, 2019 Selected
Roselle Park Short Film Festival September 9, 2018 Selected
The Brightside Film Festival June 28, 2018 Selected

Angst:

Official Selection for the Brightside Tavern Film Festival in early August, 2018

Selfie:

Official selection at the One Minute Film Fest, Teaneck, New Jersey, September 8, 2018

The Medium, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film:

Selected to be screened at the Young Filmmakers's Screenings in Manhattan in early March, 2019.
Selected to be screened at Brightside Tavern Film Festival, March 3, 2019. Megan Brown nominated for Best Actress.

The Selfie Project Pilot:

Independent Shorts Award - Certificate of Achievement Los Angeles, December 2018
Global Indian Film Festival - Selected for screening - Mumbai India, January 2019
Best Shorts Competition - Awards of Recognition - The Selfie Project Educational/Instructional/Training
Independent Talents International Film Festival- Semi-Finalist
Screened at Brightside Tavern Film Festival, March 3, 2019. Awarded for Best Concept for a Film.
Selected to be screened at the Northeast Mountain Film Festival 2019 in June
Selected to be screened at Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival in Asbury Park on May 5th 2019 and up for the Best Documentary Award.
Rome Independent Prisma Awards May 7, 2019 Selected
Global Film Festival Awards April 12, 2019 Selected
Dumbo Film Festival March 7, 2019 Selected
The Brightside Tavern Film Festival January 30, 2019 Selected and Awarded Best Concept Film
Global Indian Film Festival January 4, 2019 Selected
Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival March 22, 2019 Selected
Independent Shorts Awards December 16, 2018 Selected
Northeast Mountain Film Festival May 7, 2019 Selected

Conflict and a Bit of Magic, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film:

To be screened at 52 Weeks Film Festival
Semi-finalist 52 weeks Film Festival
Global Film Festival Awards, January 2019; Award Winner
Winner for Best Indie Filmmaker: Barbara Becker Holstein; Winner for Best Young Actor: Megan Brown
Independent Talents International Film Festival, Semi-Finalist
Rome Independent Prisma Awards, May 7, 2019 Selected
Jersey Shore Film Festival, May 26 2019 Selected

'Secrets' was selected for inclusion in "Passages: Women in Transition," Women In Media - Newark's 2018 Women's History Month film festival, held on March 27 – April 5, 2018 at Rutgers University Newark, New Jersey, and at various satellite venues in the area.

'Falling in Love, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film, is detailed in a new ebook: 'A Selfie Film - Falling In Love' by Dr. Holstein. This ebook presents issues and stories behind the creation of Dr. Holstein's "selfie films", which utilize cutting edge New Media technology. Topics and questions for discussion can be used by a parent and a child, or a group of hundreds as universal subjects of growing up and handling tough issues are presented.

Dr. Holstein makes a number of her books and films available to be used as fundraising tools. She requests that any verified charitable organization interested in raising funds contact her via email. She is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at barbara.holstein@gmail.com. More information about all of the above is available at her website at http://www.enchantedself.com.

Profile:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known Positive Psychologist is the creator of The Enchanted Self ®, a positive psychology method for happiness and a pioneer in Selfies as Film. Dr. Holstein's Enchanted Self website was included as one of the best websites in positive psychology. She is in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.

Dr. Barbara can be found on the web, interviewed, writing articles and posting video 'TED' style talks on Happiness, Positive Psychology, Relationships and Parenting.

She has been a contributor to Your Tango, Heart and Soul, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, Time on line, the Today Show and Family Circle Magazine.

Contact:
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
170 Morris Ave.,
Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
barbara.holstein@gmail.com
732-571-1200
http://www.enchantedself.com

Leia Mais…